Northern Star: Anna Hron

Anna is a member of the Swing Elite baseball team, an all girls team made up of players from across the country that go head to head against the boys.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Marshall baseball team has welcomed a new Hilltopper to the squad, one that hopes to change the narrative for what it means to play like a girl.

Anna Hron, who’s passion for the game of baseball was planted at a young age. The Marshall sophomore felt softball was the only route for her. That is until she decided to make the switch to baseball full time this season.

“Baseball has always been my first love. I decided that I wanted to come pursue my dreams after some events in softball and I’m just so thankful to be able to be here and play everyday and do what I love to do,” says Hron.

For Anna’s teammates at Marshall, adding a girl to their team was new for many of them, but the guys quickly saw what she added to their program.

“I think we all kind of, didn’t really know what to expect at the start, but I played with her in the fall and she did really well there so I was pretty confident that she would fit in and get along well with the group and its been good, she’s done a really good job and I think she’s got along great with us and fit in really well, she’s found her way on the team quite nicely,” say sophomore catcher Max Berrisford.

Women and girls in baseball have a rich history in the United States, but only recently has America’s favorite pastime seen a rise in the number of girls participating due to an increase in opportunities to play. Anna is a member of the Swing Elite baseball team, an all girls team made up of players from across the country that go head to head against the boys.

“It was life changing. To be able to be there and be able to see that there are other girls in the world who go through the same struggles as I do everyday and go through the same pain and anxiety that I do,” says Hron.

She is the only player on the Swing Elite that represents the Midwest.

It’s amazing to see other girls that care about it as much as me and it’s amazing to able to be a part of an organization where we have girls that are being told on their team, ‘We don’t want you to come. We don’t want you here.’ And so, it’s amazing to be able to fight with those girls together, because we’re stronger together, and be able to fight to find opportunities for girls right now and girls in the future to play baseball,” says Hron.

Perhaps the toughest challenges for girls and women in baseball, isn’t what happens between the white lines, but the stereotypes they’re bound to face.

“I think it takes a lot of courage to go from all female sports to an all male sport and a lot of courage to do that, and she’s got a tremendous amount of passion for the game of baseball. It’s a transition for sure but she works her butt off and she brings a lot of strong character qualities to our program,” says Hilltoppers head coach Nick Garramone.

“I’ve definitely felt the ‘agape’. It’s been awesome. You know, to be able to play for a coach that welcomes me here, that’s not where everything is in America, there’s not a bunch of coaches as amazing as Coach Garramone is. It’s just an awesome opportunity to be able to come to the field everyday knowing that I’m appreciated here and that he’s going to give everything he has to be a better baseball player,” says Hron.

Anna hopes her story inspires girls across the Northland to follow their own dreams of playing baseball.

“To all the little girls out there who are worried if they’re going to have a place a to play or worried about feeling like they’re going to be left out, you know, it’s important to know that they can be groundbreakers and that they can find opportunities to play, even if it’s hard they’re make it through and to just love what you do and make the most of every opportunity you can get,” says Hron.

Anna and the Hilltoppers will get their season rolling with a home game, Thursday at Wade Stadium against Aitkin. First pitch is set for 7 PM.